Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, left, speaks with long time resident, Donna Ayers, center, and her cousin Linda Garofalo, who came to help her clean up. (Nov. 14, 2012) Photo Credit: Linda Rosier

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, left, speaks with long time resident, Donna Ayers, center, and her cousin Linda Garofalo, who came to help her clean up. (Nov. 14, 2012) (Credit: Linda Rosier )

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano Wednesday pledged to clean up homes in Baldwin and East Rockaway that were flooded by raw sewage during superstorm Sandy -- houses he said should not be occupied until they are restored.

He also announced that a team of consultants from county, state and federal governments and the public sector were evaluating flood damage to the stricken Bay Park...

Get unlimited digital access $14.99 A MONTH

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano Wednesday pledged to clean up homes in Baldwin and East Rockaway that were flooded by raw sewage during superstorm Sandy -- houses he said should not be occupied until they are restored.

He also announced that a team of consultants from county, state and federal governments and the public sector were evaluating flood damage to the stricken Bay Park Sewage Treatment Center, where efforts to build a temporary system to fully treat sewage could take as long as two months.

Sandy sent a 9-foot wall of water into the East Rockaway treatment plant, knocking out power and damaging equipment. Two pipes ruptured under the storm pressure and sent raw sewage into homes in Baldwin and East Rockaway.

"It's catastrophic damage that is a health safety issue," Mangano said after touring the areas with town, county, state and federal officials. He declared homes hit by sewage to be a public health emergency.

"My heart breaks to see the homes in this condition . . . and our residents to be subjected to that degree of pain and suffering."

Mangano's visit followed Newsday's report Wednesday about the frustrations of residents and elected officials who said no agency would take responsibility for the cleanup or answer their questions.

"We are slowly emerging from survival to revival," said Legis. Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin), who also praised agencies for "coming together to restore a community that was knocked to its knees by a superstorm and a failed sewage system."

Emergency repairs are estimated to cost $20 million, said Mike Martino, the county's Department of Public Works spokesman. Long-term restoration costs haven't been calculated. Mangano has requested federal funds.

"It's not just a matter of fixing the parts," Mangano said. "The areas that these are in now post-Sandy are subject to possible saltwater intrusion."

Since Nov. 1, the plant has been removing solids and chlorinating sewage, but not fully treating about 65 million gallons a day before releasing the partially treated sludge into Reynolds Channel, which ultimately flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In a month, that amounts to 1.95 billion gallons.